Golf For Everybody - Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds

It wouldn't be a PlayStation without a Hot Shots Golf game, and though it took a little while to actually get here, Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds has finally arrived, almost a year after its original Japanese release. The sixth entry (counting the classic PSP release) in the popular golfing franchise is a welcome sight on PlayStation 3; with so many gritty, grimy, and frequently violent games that have dominated the gaming landscape of late, HSG is the complete opposite – accessible (but challenging all the same), colorful, lighthearted, and most importantly, all about fun. It doesn't go out of its way to reinvent itself in the move to high-definition hardware, at least aside from a brand new swing mechanic, but all new courses, characters, and a slightly revamped online setup give a feeling of freshness all the same. No, it doesn't reach the heights of the previous console Hot Shots (that being Fore from a few years back), but it's still a great game that's fun even if golf itself isn't your speed.

Crazy golfers meet realistic golf courses...yep, it's Hot Shots
If you've played Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee on PSP, you'll be instantly familiar with the main single player component, the Challenge mode. Divided into tiers of increasingly challenging courses and opponents, it's the place you go to unlock characters – whether they're golfers or caddies – and equipment to improve your player or make up for weaknesses. In total there's 15 different golfers (17 if you add the two recently made available on the PlayStation Store for a buck each), with the majority unlocking by defeating them in each tier, thus both adding variety to golfers and pave the way to opening the next group of events. Alas, Hot Shots suffers from a lack of courses – after seeing 12 in the last PS2 release, it's a shame to only have six to choose from this time, even if they're some of the better courses we've seen thus far in the series, with a very nice and gradual difficulty bump. At least one new one is arriving via DLC at some point, but likely it'll take the next HSG game to really pump out a solid course lineup if history is our guide. Also included are single event configurations for up to four players locally, and a training section which can be customized to deal with almost any situation the game possibly could throw at you.

Once again, Hot Shots offers online play, and if you played the PS2 game you pretty much know what to expect...just sadly, not as good. Fore let up to 50 people join an event, at any time, meaning it was easy to get a bunch of people together for a game. With Out of Bounds, you can still get this many people together...long as you pick a specific tournament from a list of them, and then remember to make the tee time. It's “realistic” in this regard, but most of them have annoying requirements, leaving no room for customization. Now you can still set up your own game in the lobby, but this time, there's a maximum of eight players. The only thing different is now you can see your opponents do their thing (everyone is on the course at the same time), which apparently really hogs up bandwidth and thus limits events to eight people. So basically, it's a step backwards from what worked in Fore. It also has no voice chat, with only keyboard functionality, which wouldn't be too bad if there wasn't such a limit on the amount of characters per message and an obnoxious filter that edits out perfectly common words. The highlight is the fun lobby system, where you customize an avatar from parts earned playing the game and then meet up with people in themed lobbies. It's a bit superficial, but it can be fun to tool around in waiting for your tee time.

As familiar or foreign as you want it to be
Hot Shots Golf has always used the traditional three-click system for hitting the ball. Press it once to start, once to set power, and once to make sure it goes straight...simple. Other golf games like Links and Tiger Woods have thrived with the analog swinging mechanic of modern times, but the traditional method is still effective...ask EA, who threw it into Tiger 08. But even Hot Shots has to evolve, and Out of Bounds offers something new. Dubbed “advanced swing”, it still uses the 3-click method, just designed in a far different way. It still works the same way, just with more involvement. The first click still starts the shot, but now instead of a meter judging power, you have to watch the club. When it reaches 50%, it shines a bit, and same with 100%. Click X when you think you have optimal power, and finally, when the circle surrounding the ball becomes one with the ball, press X for the final time and the shot is off. It sounds tricky...and it is at first, but for many, it'll be a nice change of pace. The lack of a power meter might be troublesome for complete accuracy, but otherwise it's effective. It offers one bonus: added power for every shot opposed to the traditional swing.

Otherwise, this is the Hot Shots Golf you know and love. While it looks cartoony, there's a serious golf game hidden behind it all, requiring all the usual golf knowledge, such as picking the correct club, judging wind and elevation, dealing with hazards, and reading greens to make difficult putts. It's a little more forgiving than a legitimate golf simulation, and there's a few trick shots you can learn that aren't plausible in reality, but it's not particularly easy the farther you get into challenge mode. The “AI” in tournaments can be brutal on high levels, requiring extremely good golfing, but even they have a pattern of starting out really good, only to screw up at the end. And the courses themselves, while there's nothing as brutal as Day Dream from HSG Fore, can be challenging, especially the final two which require all the skills you've learned. Especially Crown Links, which is some sort of torture device the first few times you play it.

Colorful and charming...this is next-gen?
In an era where HD graphics seem to be the standard bearer for 2/3rds of the consoles out now, Out of Bounds almost seems like its out of place. It doesn't offer gritty realism or fancy visual techniques; it's just a colorful, fast playing game of golf. The characters still have their animated style and mannerisms, something that almost seems weird in our modern era. The courses are beautiful, all offering their own strange quirks, especially the course set in Africa, where animals roam the holes and what looks like a Motorstorm race off in the distance. The Okinawa Resort course befits the Japanese island, and Crown Links mixes the oceanside adventures of Pebble Beach with the secluded feeling of the back nine at Augusta National. No, it doesn't wow you, no cartoon-based game will, but it still looks great in 720p resolution. Unfortunately, the music can't stand up to the visuals, mostly offering boring and repetitive tunes that are better suited for an elevator most of the time (though the Africa course music gets a stay of execution). The voices for the characters can also be cheesy, but that's a Hot Shots staple.

Closing Argument
If you've been a fan of past Hot Shots games, and own a PS3, there's no reason to not run out and buy Out of Bounds if you haven't yet. Sure, it's not as feature packed as Fore, which is disappointing considering Sony is charging $60 for it, but it's still one of those games that's pure fun, something that's not seen too much anymore, unless you own a Wii. It looks great for its visual style, offers a ton of characters, fun (and challenging) courses, and if the online has the legs of Fore, it should be kicking for a good while despite the shortcomings. At least nowadays they can always patch in some new modes, as they already have, so perhaps eventually it'll reach the heights expected of online gaming these days. As summer begins, there's few games that seem better designed for that season than Hot Shots, so go get it and enjoy some summertime fun on the virtual links.